Killer Instinct — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- ViolenceCentral
- Scary contentSupporting
Not found
- Religion
- Race & culture
- Climate
- Sexual content
- Gender roles
Couldn't confirm
- Profanity
- Gender & orientation
- Profanity: No source describes the swearing in the book's own text.
- Gender & orientation: The sources describe the mystery and a romance involving Cassie but do not say whether any character is LGBTQ+.
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother's murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.
But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean's incarcerated father-a man he'd do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer's psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer's brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?
With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.
Praise for Killer Instinct "A welcome addition to the teen-sleuth genre."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Barnes knows how to keep the reader hooked, and fans will be eagerly reaching for this title and clamoring for the next in the series."
-Booklist
"This is a definite purchase for libraries...."
-School Library Journal
"Intricately plotted, this novel will keep teens guessing and leave readers eagerly waiting the next installment in The Naturals series."
-VOYA Praise for The Naturals
- YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2014
- YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers, 2014
* "[A] tightly paced suspense novel that will keep readers up until the wee hours to finish." -VOYA (starred review)
"This savvy thriller grabs readers right away." -Kirkus Reviews
"It's a stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book, and it doesn't disappoint." -Publishers Weekly
"In this high-adrenaline series opener...even a psychic won't anticipate all the twists and turns." -Booklist
Frequently asked questions
Is Killer Instinct appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The plot follows a brutal serial killer and a copycat, with murders and a past confrontation with a killer, though one guide says the book focuses more on the aftermath and psychology than on the acts themselves. The book is a dark thriller with gory crime scenes, a creepy killer's point of view and a copycat killer targeting the team.
Does Killer Instinct have violence?
Found (Central): The plot follows a brutal serial killer and a copycat, with murders and a past confrontation with a killer, though one guide says the book focuses more on the aftermath and psychology than on the acts themselves.
Does Killer Instinct have scary content?
Found (Supporting): The book is a dark thriller with gory crime scenes, a creepy killer's point of view and a copycat killer targeting the team.
Does Killer Instinct have religion?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Killer Instinct have race & culture?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Killer Instinct have profanity?
Couldn't confirm: No source describes the swearing in the book's own text.
Does Killer Instinct have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Killer Instinct have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Killer Instinct have gender roles?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Killer Instinct have gender & orientation?
Couldn't confirm: The sources describe the mystery and a romance involving Cassie but do not say whether any character is LGBTQ+.
